I'm sorry that my inept attempt to say something nice about some of the people whose posts I tend to follow, and so who I'm more familiar with, has instead hurt feelings. I apologize to anyone whose feelings I hurt for whatever reason: not including you in my list, including you in my list, calling attention to those who didn't want it. I would appreciate it if this thread would just sink back into the depths rather than continuing to cause pain.

I appreciate Eilonwy, for trying to make a kind, out-loud gesture to heal some of the hurt that has seemed so prevalent in our circle of the forum lately.

"Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one."
― Eleanor Roosevelt

"When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad."
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Let's go eat first, big decisions are always best made after lunch or dinner. You feel like Surf & Turf or Thai?

I can't. I've just eaten and if I eat any more I will have to deal with the social shame of sitting in a crowded café or diner covered in my regurgitated pickings. Besides the last time I ate a Thai I was very wasted and it wasn't pretty.

I can't. I've just eaten and if I eat any more I will have to deal with the social shame of sitting in a crowded café or diner covered in my regurgitated pickings. Besides the last time I ate a Thai I was very wasted and it wasn't pretty.

Raincheck then. If you leave, I will miss your delightful, recalcitrant musings.

"Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one."
― Eleanor Roosevelt

"When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad."
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

We all come to things with our blindnesses and our weaknesses... I have caused so many problems in my own relationship thinking that my partner was trying to hurt me... when all he was doing was coming at things the way his personality and experience had led him to thus far... and that he'd meant no harm or judgment. I have been working on remembering that just because he seems one way to me doesn't mean he's intending that or that he sees it that way... just because he's not emotionally demonstrative doesn't mean he's not feeling affectionate... just because I feel like he's not paying attention to me doesn't mean that he isn't... and on this forum just because a poster seems confident or publicly supported doesn't mean they're not really shy or lonely or hurting in the areas we can't see... what people have said to me here has meant so much to me at times when I have been feeling alone or worthless.

As for it all being out in public... I guess techincally it's unnecessary... but to me it comes across as a friendly gesture of trying to make a positive atmosphere, not one of being cliquish or exclusionary... I think it happens here that we figure other people realize they're engaging in whatever we see as harmful but they may have no idea because they see it differently... whenever we post something online we open it up to criticism from every direction and all we have is our one little viewpoint to do the best we can with. Sometimes we get caught up in the positive excitement of posting something heartfelt and don't realize how others might take it because we don't know how to see through everyone's eyes. As is clear with Eilonwy's retraction and as I have felt recently... it can be so painful to put something out there with genuine positive intent and have it be taken so, so differently than you ever meant it... and then to have others tell you that you intended that harm... it really does make you want to never speak again...

But I don't know what else to do, besides apologizing for hurt accidentally caused, working on fixing the blindspot that caused the misunderstanding, and to keep on trying anyway. I appreciate all of those who have put their hearts out there on the forum, even when it has gone terribly wrong... and I hope that those who have felt hurt in the misunderstandings can heal and find room for forgiveness...

I appreciate @Eilonwy's empathy. Few people I have encountered online pay attention and respond in this way.
I am also continually impressed with @fidelia's deep conscientiousness towards people.
@skylights has provided some very insightful posts
@Halla74 takes an interest in people and provides some good advice. He uses his energy and powers for good.

Edit: I'm also ignoring anything that went south in this thread. I also wear white after Labor Day, so there.

Step into my metaphysical room of mirrors. Fear of reality creates myopic moralitySo I guess it means there is trouble until the robins come
(from Blue Velvet)

As is clear with Eilonwy's retraction and as I have felt recently... it can be so painful to put something out there with genuine positive intent and have it be taken so, so differently than you ever meant it... and then to have others tell you that you intended that harm... it really does make you want to never speak again...

Did you see the original post skylights? I'm assuming you did or why would you be commenting in such a way...

So you remember how the first line went "I'm so sick of...(other members behavior.) <- Is that the genuine positive intent you speak of?

Look...I think you all should keep on loving each other. And circle-jerking. I'm just asking that the appreciation remain separate from the blame. You know...for actual genuine positive intent.

Lol, only TypologyCentral could turn a kind-hearted gesture like an appreciation thread into an absolute farce. I so have to leave this place and make something of my life. Anyone else coming?

The more I experience the world the less this place calls me back, extraversion for you.

'One of (Lucas) Cranach's masterpieces, discussed by (Joseph) Koerner, is in it's self-referentiality the perfect expression of left-hemisphere emptiness and a precursor of post-modernism. There is no longer anything to point to beyond, nothing Other, so it points pointlessly to itself.' - Iain McGilChrist

Suppose a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?"
"Suppose it didn't," said Pooh, after careful thought.
Piglet was comforted by this.
- A.A. Milne.